Last Thing They Expected
by klutzysunshine
Summary: Michelle's pregnancy was the last thing she and Owen expected to happen.


Neither Michelle nor Owen expected a baby, but they rolled with it as they did everything else in life. The age difference between TK and the baby was going to be pretty big but he was pretty excited about becoming a big brother despite the situation. And at forty-three, Michelle was in perfect health. And since Owen was in remission, there were no issues with his health either. She wasn't pleased to be benched and riding desk duty several months into her pregnancy but Michelle didn't want to risk herself or the baby and chose not to complain all that much. "Do you think it'll be a girl?" Owen asked as he sat down next to her. "I already raised a boy so a daughter would be a nice change."

She leaned forward, a hand on her stomach, and flipped her hair out of her face. "It doesn't matter to me, honestly. Owen, this is our baby, and I'm going to love them no matter what." Michelle paused for a second. "What do you think about naming the baby after my sister if it's a girl?"

"Iris? It's a nice name."

Michelle's gaze darted to the wall for about thirty seconds and then she shifted weight from one foot to another. He stared at her in confusion. "Not exactly."

"You can tell me anything," Owen reminded her.

"You're probably going to tell me no." Fidgeting with her clothes, she tried to stall for a few minutes by changing the subject, which he allowed while she worked her way up to whatever she wanted to tell him.

"I'll at least hear you out, and we can talk about it," he offered. He picked up her hand and squeezed it.

Michelle blew out a breath. "Iris means 'rainbow', and I know that's a hippie sounding name, but I haven't been able to get it out of my head ever since I decided to keep this baby."

"Rainbow? Rainbow Blake?"

"Rainbow Blake-Strand," she corrected. Michelle steepled her fingers. "You can choose her middle name, and maybe we can call her that if you don't like Rainbow. And we might even be having a boy so we might not even have to worry about it." This was going to be her only baby so she wanted to get the name right.

"It's certainly an unusual name but she'd stand out from the rest of the pack."

She blinked. "Did you just refer to children as a pack?"

Owen laughed. "Have you seen the kids we've been called out to help on cases?"

Michelle laughed. "Good point."

He grinned at her before giving her a quick kiss. "Rainbow works for me. And just to make sure she doesn't hate us, we should give her a common middle name. But something that isn't too popular."

"You're going to obsess over this aren't you?" she correctly deduced.

"Probably. What about MIchelle?"

"I'm not giving her my name so veto."

"Did you veto me when we didn't even say anything about vetoes?" Owen shook his head in amusement. "Maybe TK can throw out some suggestions."

"Making him a part of this would squash some lingering tension." Michelle knew he was excited but there was still some awkwardness about the whole situation, especially considering their ages.

He folded his arms. "I told you he's not upset - TK is thrilled."

Still worried about it and not wanting to argue, Michelle changed the subject to dinner (she was always hungry and would definitely miss this once the baby arrived). They'd have plenty of time to discuss this.

* * *

After numerous discussions, the three of them came to an agreement just hours before Michelle gave birth to a little girl - Rainbow Joelle Blake-Strand. Owen and TK _immediately_ started referring to her as RJ, which stuck, but Michelle chose to call her Jo (another nickname that also fit her). "She's the cutest surprise miracle baby ever," Owen cooed as the newborn slept in her mother's arms. He itched for a turn to hold her but waited until Michelle was ready to give her up.

TK snorted. "I think I'm a strong contender."

"You weren't a miracle baby," an amused Michelle pointed out.

He blinked. "I was still a surprise!"

"Sorry, RJ wins this game but both my children as adorable as hell," Owen interjected. Unable to wait any longer, he picked up the baby when Michelle gave him the go-ahead. She struggled to open her eyes for a few seconds before giving up, continuing to sleep.

Michelle ran a finger down her daughter's arms. "We have to team up against your dad and big brother, Jo. What do you think about that, huh?"

TK whipped out his phone and snapped a few pictures, sending them to Carlos. "My turn!" He made grabby hands. Owen stared at him for a second, stood up, kissed his temple, and then handed her over.

"Be careful," he warned.

"Dad, I know how to hold a baby. Take it down a notch." TK smirked at him before returning his attention to his little sister. "Holy shit, she is so fucking tiny."

"Are you going to say that every time you hold her or are you getting over that amazement anytime soon?" Michelle teasingly snarked.

"She really is, though! Look at her." TK teared up. "I love you, RJ. Please don't ever forget that." He hadn't expected to find a family - or gain a little sister - with this move to Texas - but he was thrilled beyond belief about it.

"Damn you," Michelle mumbled as she grabbed some tissues. She couldn't wait until her hormones stopped fluctuating - pregnancy had been hell towards the end, and she was glad to not have to go through it again but everything had been worth it in the long run.

Owen wrapped his arm around her as they watched TK take care of Rainbow. Michelle kissed her boyfriend just seconds before the baby startled her older brother and started crying.

While this had been the last thing Michelle, Owen, and TK had expected, they'd forever cherish Rainbow's unexpected appearance in their lives.


End file.
